Composite bow and hand grip for the same



R. A. HUNTLEY COMPOSITE BOW AND HAND GRIP FOR THE SAME May 11, 1965 .2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 13, 1962 :i eo

ROY A HUN TLEY INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY y 1965 R. A. HUNTLEY 3,182,651

COMPOSITE BOW AND HAND GRIP FOR THE SAME Filed Nov. 13, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ROY A HUNTLEY INVENTOR.

MWMWC ATTORNEY United States Patent ce 3,182,651 COMPOSITE BUW AND HANDGRIP FOR THE SAME Roy A. Huntley, 1108 9th Ave, Seattle, Wash. FiledNov. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 237,005 4 Claims. (Cl. 124--2'4) This presentinvention relates to the general field of making resilient bows of thetype employed for the discharge of arrows. More specifically, thisinvention relates to a built-up composite style of bow and employs ahandle having its axis at right angles to the axis of the bow properwhich insures a more uniform handling of the bow from shot to shot andpermits improved delivery of the arrow as it passes the bow during itsprojection.

In the field of archery a large number of bow and arrow arrangementshave been developed using a wide variety of materials. In my presentcomposite style bow I prefer to employ a backing strip on the outersurface of the bow, and on the inner surface, facing the bowman, toemploy the principal resilient member extending substantially throughoutthe length of the bow, which may be made of suitable metal as steel, orin some instances, because of the current wide development of plasticmaterials, certain of these may be used. The thickness of this resilientand principal projection member of the how will vary in compliance withthe physical resilience or elasticity of the material used. Asatisfactory measure for the comparison of the different materials isYoungs Modulus of Elasticity. This covers the ratio of stress to strainor the rate of change of strain below the proportional limit. Anotherfactor allied to elasticity is resilience, which for this presentpurpose is defined as the energy stored in a body when the stress in thebow projection material is increased. In bow making the stress variesfrom the amount applied to the material when the bow is strung to theamount which occurs at its peak when the bow is fully drawn, as in thedischarge of an arrow.

Further consideration in making a bow for accurate, effective use is thenecessity of applying a handle to the bow in a manner that will insure auniform holding of the bow for each successive discharge of arrows. Bowsare generally used for two purposes, one for archery practice andfinally archery tournaments, and secondly in the sports field forhunting game, ranging from small game or varmints to all of our softskinned animals. Particularly in the hunting field it is very desirablethat the how be reasonably short so that it can be practically used withthe longitudinal axis of the bow substantially horizontal. In my presentcomposite how I provide a handle which insures a comfortable holding ofthe how when in the preferred hunting position, which is the horizontalposition. By employing a separate handle which is attached to the bow bysuitable means, it is possible to provide for uniform movement of thearrow past the bow itself, a result which is difiicult of uniformachievement with the ordinary long bow normally used in the verticalposition.

A principal object of this present invention therefore is to provide acomposite bow structure which is readily adaptable to bows of variousdrawing weight and which admits the use of various types of materialother than wood, which have been created by our intense technologicaldevelopment, particularly during the last one or two decades. i i

A further object of this invention is to provide a bow of such astructure that it can be made in a reduced overall length so as to adaptit to the horizontal holding position so generallyused by hunters.

7 3,182,651 Patented May 11, 1965 A further object of this invention isto provide in a composite how a reinforced tip-nook recurvature springend.

A further object of this present invention is to provide a bow handlehaving a grip trip which will insure a uniform handling of the bow undervarious shooting conditions.

Further objects,.advantages and capabilities will be apparent from thedisclosure in the drawings or may be comprehended or are inherent in thedevice.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a bow made after the teachings of thispresent invention, showing the bow as strung and illustrating, in dashedlines, one side of the handle, the normal position of the bow ends whenthe bow is unstrung.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the bow of FIGURE 1 with a portion ofthe same broken away.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view, on an increased scale, of the recurvaturenock tip, the same construction being employed at both ends of the bow.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view, on an increased scale, along theline 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view, on an increased scale, of the handleused in association with this bow, the same being shown in perspectiveto better illustrate certain features.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view showing, in side elevation, the handleseating portion of the bow.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference charactersindicate like parts, the numeral 10 designates the body strip whichextends throughout the length of the bow and is of substantial thicknessthat will vary with the arrow casting force desired. In the proportionsshown in FIGURE 3 this material is indicated as duralumin. As will benoted, especially in FIGURE 4, the recurvature 12 of the bow is formedby carrying this principal back bone member through the mock portion.Overlaying the outside of the principal strip 10 is a thinner backingportion 14. This backing portion is preferably a relatively thin stripof a high grade resilient steel of the order of SAE 1085 or 9260 whichare quite satisfactory for this purpose, a preferred thickness rangingfrom 18 to 14 gauge. It is to be noted that strip 14 extendssubstantially from one end of the bow to the other as shown in FIGURE 1.The extreme end of strip 14, at each end of the bow, is secured by anoverlapping relieved portion 15 formed in nock member 20. Member 20 ispreferably made of the same material as strip 10 and is fastened inplace by compression means as by being through bolted by bolt 21 tostrip 10. It will be noted particularly in FIGURES 2 and 4 that the endsof strip 10 and member 20 are bifurcated at 22 to form what in this howis the nock in which the bow string 24 is operationally secured when thebow is strung. Suitable knots, as 26, are made in each end of the bowstring. The back side of the recurvature ends are grooved at 13 toretain the bow string around the ends as the bow is drawn.

Referring now to FIGURE 7, the preferred structure is illustrated in thepresent instance as a top plan view though taken from the showing ofFIGURE 1, but on an increased scale and with the handle removed. To giveadded strength, a third or handle reinforcing strip 28 is provided. Asatisfactoryreinforcing strip 28 is approximately one fourth of thetotal length of the bow and the same is centered on the center of thebow. Completing the handle reinforcement 29 is a base member 30 having arelatively thick grip portion at its center and reduced thicknessportions as 3 1 at its opposite ends, As will be noted in FIGURE 7, thefour pieces making up the lamia) nated main body of the bow where thehandle is attached are secured together in operational relationship bythe through bolts 32.

Referring to FIGURES and 6, the handle or hand grip portion of the bow34 is shown in FIGURE 5 in operational relationship wherein it issecured to the center portion of the bow, after the showings in FIGURES1 and 2 and in FIGURE 6 where the same is shown by itself for a moreclear understanding. A preferred material for the main part of thehandle indicated at 34 is any of the moldable plastic materials that canbe used in all kinds of weather without any change and are very durable.The handle consists of a hand grip portion proper 35, having the fingergauge 36 secured thereto on its forward edge and this is preferably heldin place by suitable means as the screw 37 so that this member can beindividually adjusted to the size of the users hand. As generally used,this is employed below the little finger of the left hand of a righthanded person. The upper portion of handle 34 is provided with two guideand rest members 38 and 40. Members 38 and 4t) are used as rests for theindex finger and thumb of the hand holding the bow and complete thegripping of the bow. This additional support resists any tendency forthe drawing of the bow to overturn the bow and handle 35. The materialbetween guides 38 and 40 is depressed after the showing of FIGURE 2, toprovide the arrow guide valley 42-. An angled seat 44 is provided,making use of the under side of members 38 and 40. These are connectedby a planar surface 46 providing an angled seat which insures the properpositioning of the various laminates of the bow in the horizontal andvertical planes, particularly if one of the bolts should happen toloosen in use. A through bolt 48 is provided, passing through hole 49,which in turn passes entirely through the handle port-ion as is probablybest illustrated in FIGURE 7. Completing the grip portion is apreferably metal guide member 50, which overhangs the handle to the rearand is secured to handle member 35 by screw 52 and by the sides 54 ofthe handle portion which enclose the side walls of the guide. Guidemember 50 has been found desirable because of the fact that the bowitself is intended for normal use in the horizontal position, asdistinct from the vertical position employed with the ordinary long bow.1

The various laminates shown in FIGURE 7 are additionally securedtogether by a plurality of suitable encircling bands 60. To complete thebow and insure that all the laminates will remain in their operationalpositions I have provided a cover 56 of material such as leather, rawhide or reinforced plastic material, and have shown the same as securedalong its center line by seam 58 especially protecting the steel member14 from the elements and providing a neat organization of all the parts.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the abovedescription and the disclosure in the drawings that the inventioncomprehends a novel construction of composite bow and hand grip for thesame.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A composite bow and hand grip, comprising: a body strip of metalextending throughout the length of the bow; recurvature ends, grooves ontheir back side formed in the ends of the body strip; nock membersfitting the outside curvature of said recurvature ends and bifurcated toprovide nock slots to engage the ends of an end knotted bow string;compression means to secure said nock members to said body strip; abacking strip of metal overlaying the outside of said body strip andextending substantially the length of the same; said backing striphaving its ends secured by said nock members; a metal reinforcing stripextending substantially one eighth of the length of said bow on eachside of its center; a base member overlaying said reinforcing strip onits outside surface and having a relatively thick grip portion and endpositions of reduced thickness; compression means for securing saidstrips and said base member in close operational relationship and ahandle secured at the longitudinal center of said bow and at rightangles to the plane of the bow and bowstring when the bow is drawn.

2. A composite bow and hand grip, comprising: a body strip of metal, ofsubstantial thickness, extending throughout the length of the bow; nockmembers fitting the outside end surfaces of the ends of the bow andbifurcated to provide nock slots to engage the ends of an end knottedbow string; compression means to secure said nock members to said bodystrip; a backing strip of relatively thin metal strip overlaying theoutside of said body strip and extending substantially the length of thesame; said backing strip having its ends secured by said nock members; ametal reinforcing strip extending substantially one eighth of the lengthof said bow on each side of its center; a base member overlaying saidreinforcing strip on its out side surface and having a relatively thickgrip portion and end portions of reduced thickness; compression meansfor securing said strips and said base member in close operationalrelationship and a handle secured at the longitudinal center of said bowand at right angles to the plane of the bow and bowstring when the bowis drawn.

3. A composite bow, comprising: a body strip of metal of substantialthickness, extending throughout the length of the bow; recurvature ends,grooves on their back side formed in the ends of the body strip; nockmembers fitting the outside curvature of said recurvature ends andbifurcated to provide nock slots to engage the ends of an end knottedbow stri g; compression means to secure said nock members to said bodystrip; a backing strip of relatively thin strip metal overlaying theoutside of said body strip and extending substantially the length of thesame; said backing strip having its ends secured by suitable means; ametal reinforcing strip extending substantially oneeighth of the lengthof said bow on each side of its center; a base member overlaying saidreinforcing strip on its outside surface and having a relatively thickgrip portion and end portions of reduced thickness; compression meansfor securing said strips and said base member in close operationalrelationship and a handle provided at the longitudinal center of saidbow consisting of the said strips and said base member.

4. A composite bow and hand grip, comprising: a body strip of metalextending throughout the length of the bow; recurvature ends, grooves ontheir back side formed in the ends of the body strip; nock membersfitting the out side curvature of said recurvature ends and bifurcatedto provide nock slots to engage the ends of an end knotted bow string;compression means to secure said nock members to said body strip; abacking strip of metal overlaying the outside of said body strip andextending substantially the length of the same; said backing striphaving its ends secured by said nock members; a metal reinforcing stripextending substantially one-eighth of the length of said bow on eachside of its center; a base member overlaying said reinforcing strip onits outside surface and having a relatively thick grip portion and endportions of reduced thickness; compression means for securing saidstrips and said base member in close relationship; a handle secured atthe longitudinal center of said bow and at right angles to the plane ofthe bow and bowstring when the bow is drawn and said handle having ahand grip portion with a detachable finger gauge secured on its forwardedge in predetermined position, spaced apart finger and thumb restsrising above the plane of the strung bow and having an arrow guidevalley between them and a metal guide member overhanging said handle,sloping upwardly to the handle and secured thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,068 10/44Sollid 124-23 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 343,847 2/60 Switzerland.

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner.

1. A COMPOSITE BOW AND HAND GRIP, COMPRISING: A BODY STRIP OF METALEXTENDING THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE BOW; RECURVATURE ENDS, GROOVES ONTHEIR BACK SIDE FORMED IN THE ENDS OF THE BODY STRIP; NOCK MEMBERSFITTING THE OUTSIDE CURVATURE OF SAID RECURVATURE ENDS AND BIFURCATED TOPROVIDE NOCK SLOTS TO ENGAGE THE ENDS OF AN END KNOTTED BOW STRING:COMPRESSION MEANS TO SECURE SAID NOCK MEMBERS TO SAID BODY STRIP; ABACKING STRIP OF METAL OVERLAYING THE OUTSIDE OF SAID BODY STRIP ANDEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH OF THE SAME; SAID BACKING STRIPHAVING ITS ENDS SECURED BY SAID NOCK MEMBERS; A METAL REINFORCING STRIPEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ONE EIGHTH OF THE LENGTH OF SAID BOW ON EACHSIDE OF ITS CENTER; A BASE MEMBER OVERLAYING SAID REINFORCING STRIP ONITS OUTSIDE SURFACE AND HAVING A RELATIVELY THICK GRIP PORTION AND ENDPOSITIONS OF REDUCED THICKNESS; COMPRESSION MEANS FOR SECURING SAIDSTRIPS AND SAID BASE MEMBER IN CLOSE OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIP AND AHANDLE SECURED AT THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER OF SAID BOW AND AT RIGHTANGLES TO THE PLANE OF THE BOW AND BOWSTRING WHEN THE BOW IS DRAWN.